HawgBeat - Keyon Menifield's scoring barrage leads Razorbacks over UNC Wilmington
Arkansas Razorbacks basketball guard Keyon Menifield was on fire during the Hogs' win over UNC Wilmington on Saturday.
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In only his third game as a Razorback, Arkansas guard Keyon Menifield Jr. dropped a career-high 32 points during the Hogs' 106-90 win over UNC Wilmington on Saturday.
After scoring 11 points and two points in games against Abilene Christian and Lipscomb, respectively, Menifield blew past those totals in the first half alone. The Washington transfer racked up 17 points on 5-7 shooting and two threes in the first 20 minutes against the Seahawks.
"Obviously we see the impact that Keyon can have, and we’re a different team with his energy out there and his basketball IQ," head coach Eric Musselman said after the game. "We missed him the games he wasn’t a part of our team. We recruited him with the thought he could score and also, I didn’t think he hunted his shots tonight."
Menifield didn't slow down either, as he finished the game with a team-high in points along with four rebounds and five assists in 35:05 minutes of game action. According to HogStats, Menifield had a hand in 40.6% of Arkansas' points (43 of 106).
"I think he’s just an innate baller, you know?" Musselman said. "You could probably throw him on any team tomorrow and he would figure it out. Sometimes there are guys like that. He’s got unbelievable court awareness.
"I think it’s been important for him to sit and watch, see where we have some areas we could get better at. Like I said, his teammates’ body language, like, they’re looking for him. I think the confidence level that teammates have with him is much more important than the confidence that I have with him."
Now that Menifield is acclimated and in the fold for the Razorbacks, Arkansas' offense has a legitimate point-guard that can help things flow smoothly. That was showcased with pretty alley-oops to forwards Trevon Brazile and Jalen Graham, respectively.
"Yeah, I feel like every lob I throw to him is good," Menifield said after the game. "He could go get it from anywhere. I just knew that coming here, me and him were going to be lob partners."
With three games under his belt, Menifield is now averaging 15.0 points, 4.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists on the season. The Michigan native is shooting 52.0% from the field, 27.2% from beyond the arc and 76.2% from the charity stripe.
"We were in the locker room before the game, I said ‘Feeling like a day that you went crazy against Oregon,'" guard Devo Davis said after the game. "And so, a career high for him. I’m happy for him. He works hard, he’s been in the gym way more since he’s been playing. I love seeing him in the gym.
"As long as he continues to work, these games are going to go by fast for him because he missed a few. It’s kind of hard. Once he’s in the flow, I think he can continue playing the way he’s playing."
Up next, Arkansas (9-4) will take on the Auburn Tigers (9-2) inside Bud Walton Arena to open up SEC play on Jan. 6. The game is set to tip off at 1:00 p.m. and will broadcast on ESPN2.
